Collar form preserver



Oct. 11, 1932. J HM 1,882,622

COLLAR FORM PRESERVER Filed Feb. 2, 1931 f 71 067752)? Jao & Kay/171m Patented Oct. 11, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JACOB KASHMA'N, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COLLAR FORLI PRESERVER Application filed February 2, 1931. Serial No. 512,907.

This invention relates to devices employed by laundries astemporary attachments for shirts when the latter are being prepared for, and are being returned to, customers; and

'3 the invention is particularly designed for use in maintaining the neck bands of shirts, or attached collars thereof, in proper shape.

The portions of mens shirts which surround the necks of the wearers are referred to as neck bands. When the shirts have no complete collars and are designed to have collars attached thereto by the users, the neck bands are comparatively narrow that is, they I, are low in height. When the shirts are made with attached collars, the' inner neck band portions are usually higher and to their upper edges there are connected, integrally or by seams, the portions of the fabric which present the outer visible portions of the collars. Shirts of the former type usually are referred to as neck-band shirts, and those of the latter type usually are referred to as collar-attached shirts. A device embodying all or only some of the features of the present invention is adapted for use in connection with shirts of either type. Therefore, for convenience, the generic term collar element will be employed hereafter to designate either a neck band or an attached collar, and wherever said term is used it is intended that it shall be read and construed in this light, particularly in the appended claims.

The object of my invention is to provide simple, easily applied attachments of low cost, which can be quickly applied to positions relatively to the collars or neck bands of either of the above-described types of shirts and which will reliably remain in position to hold the front portions of the collar element in a desired position and in smooth condition.

Of the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front View of a folded laundered collar-attached shirt with one of my improved collar element form preservers in position.

. Figure 2 is a side view of the folded shirt,

partly broken out, the form preserver being indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a plan view of one of the form preservers or shapers alone.

Similar reference characters indicate similar parts or features in allof the views.

A folded shirt a of the collar attached type having a collar element composed of a neck band I) provided with a visible collar portion a is conventionally illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Usual buttons are indicated at (1.

Referring now to Figure 3, it will be observed that the form or shaper which is sometimes referred to as a formette, consists of an elongated fiat flexible strip 5, usually of cardboard or pasteboard, having one longitudinal edge thereof concavely curved asindicated at 6 and its other longitudinal edge conveXly curved as indicated at 6. Also, it will be observed that the end edges of the strip, designated as 7, diverge from the concave edge 6 in the direction of the convex edge 6, and that tabs 8 of any suitable length and width, formed preferably as integral parts of the strip, project from the convexly curved edge 6 at or near the ends of the strip. In this connection the dotted lines 9 indicate lines of fold which preferably are *eakened in any suitable manner to permit bending of the tabs at substantially right angles to the strip. Regarding these lines of fold it will be noted that while the same are straight they extend substantially as continuations of the edge 6.

In the use of the strip the same first is bowed or flexed by swinging the end portions thereof towards one another sufficiently to permit the strip readily to be inserted into the collar element of a folded shirt. The bowed strip then is inserted into the collar. element with the convexly curved edge 6' thereof disposed inwardly and with the ends of the strip directed towards the rear of the collar element and the medial portion thereof facing the front of the collar element. In this connection, it is pointed out that the curvature of the convex edge 6' of the strip is such that when the strip is bowed into substantially semi-circular shape the said edge 6 thereof is disposed in or sub stantially in a. plane, and that because of the convexcurvature of said edge, bowing of the 3 stantiallv throughout width dependent strip into substantially semi-circular shape results in the body of the strip becoming in clined or flared towards the plane of the edge 6' thereof. Accordingly, when inserting the bowed strip into the collar element, the same is pushed towards the front of the collar element whereby the flaring form or inclination of the strip results in raising of the front portions of the collar element. The

- ends of the strip then are released, with the after pressing the bowed strip forwardly and preferably following release of the ends thereof, inward pressure is exerted against the ends of the strips to cause the tabs 8, by engagement with the back of the shirt, to bend outwardly on the lines 9 and to be forced simultaneously under the collar element between the back and the shoulder portions of the shirt until the inner edge 6 of the strip comes to rest throughout or subits length against the back of the shirt. This results in final positioning of the strip with the tabs 8 obviously disposed to prevent the strip from springing out of the collar element. If desired the flaps 8 may, of course, be bent outwardly prior to inserting the strip into the collar element, in which event downward pressure on the strip is unnecessary. The strip preferably is of such less length than the length or circumference of the collar element that the ends of the strip tend to place the rear portion of the collar element in tension and to maintain the same straight and at substantially the same inclination relative to the back of the shirt as the front portion of the collar element, thus to maintain the entire collar smooth and taut in its natural position.

The strips may be formed of any desired upon the height oft-he col l'ar element with which they are to be used, while in connection with the inner edge 6 of the strip it is pointed out that the curvature of the same preferably is such that when the strip is bowed to dispose said edge in a plane to engage against the flat back portion of the shirt, the inclination or flare of the body of the strip corresponds to or substantially to the natural flare of the collar element. On the other hand, regarding the outer edge 6 of the strip, this preferably has a curve such that it extends contiguous to the top edge'of the collar element when the strip is operatively engaged in said element.

WVhile folding of the tabs 8 relative to the strip in a definite predetermined manner is assured by forming the fold lines 9 as creases or the like, the said fold lines are not of such character as to materially weaken the strip. Consequently, the tabs when bent outwardly tend to return to their normal positions in the. plane of the strip and thus tend to urge the end portions of the strip outwardly relative to the collar element. At the same time, the tendency of the end portions of the strip to spring apart causes the diverging end edges of the strip to tend to wedge the end portions of the strip inwardly and to maintain the tabs engaged beneath the collar element. Therefore, when the strip is operatively engaged within the collar element it is held firmly therein and any looseness is avoided.

The strip as shown and described is particularly suited for use with shirts having collar elements of the collar attached type. However, some or all of the features of the strip are retained if it is formed particularly for use with shirts having collar elements of the neck band type, a strip of this particular use simply being formed somewhat narrower in height and having the curvature of the inner and the outer edges thereof and the divergence of its ends less pronounced.

While the device is especially designed for use by laundries in connection with shirts re turned to their customers, it is also usefully applied to shirts on exhibition for sale.

Having now described my invention, I claim 1. A form preserver of the character described comprising a normally flat flexible strip to be bowed and inserted within the collar element of a folded shirt to support the collar element in a raised position, the inner edge of said strip being convexly curved on a radius such that when the strip is bowed and the inner edge thereof is disposed in the plane of and against the back of a shirt within the collar element thereof the medial and end portions of the strip extend outwardly in convergent relationship corresponding to the natural inclination of the collar element, the ends of the strip being straight and being disposed convergently from the inner to the outer edge of the strip in such angular relationship to each other and to the convex curvature of the inner edge of the strip as to have substantially the same angular disposition relative to the back of the shirt as the medial portion of the strip when the strip is bowed and disposed within the collar element, whereby the ends of the strip contact throughout their respective lengths with the rearwardly inclined rear portions of the collar element thus to assist in holding the sides of the collar element taut and in a natural upright position relative to the shirt.

2. A form preserver as set forth in claim 1 having tabs extending from its inner convex edge near the ends of the strip which tabs extend outwardly between the back of the shirt and the collar element when the form preserver is operatively disposed within the collar element.

3. A form preserver of the character described comprising a normally fiat flexible strip to be bowed and inserted within the collar element of a folded. shirt to support the collar element in a raised position, the inner edge of said strip being eonvexly curved on a radius such that when the strip is bowed 1 the back of the shirt and the collar element when the form preserver is operatively disposed within the collar element.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

J AGOB KASHMAN. 

